“Here’s the difference between us,” explains the Israeli prime minister. “We’re using missile defense to protect our civilians, and they’re using their civilians to protect their missiles.”

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Rarely does international politics present a moment of such moral clarity. Yet we’ve routinely heard the Israel-Gaza fighting described as a morally equivalent “cycle of violence.” This is absurd. What possible interest can Israel have in cross-border fighting? Everyone knows Hamas set off this most recent mini-war. And everyone knows the proudly self-declared raison d’etre of Hamas: the eradication of Israel and its Jews.

Apologists for Hamas attribute the blood lust to the Israeli occupation and blockade. Occupation? Does no one remember anything? It was less than 10 years ago that worldwide television showed the Israeli army pulling die-hard settlers off synagogue roofs in Gaza as Israel uprooted its settlements, expelled its citizens, withdrew its military and turned every inch of Gaza over to the Palestinians. There was not a soldier, not a settler, not a single Israeli left in Gaza.

And there was no blockade. On the contrary. Israel wanted this new Palestinian state to succeed. To help the Gaza economy, Israel gave the Palestinians its 3,000 greenhouses that had produced fruit and flowers for export. It opened border crossings and encouraged commerce.

The whole idea was to establish the model for two states living peacefully and productively side by side. No one seems to remember that, simultaneous with the Gaza withdrawal, Israel dismantled four smaller settlements in the northern West Bank as a clear signal of Israel’s desire to leave the West Bank as well and thus achieve an amicable two-state solution.

This is not ancient history. This was nine years ago.

And how did the Gaza Palestinians react to being granted by the Israelis what no previous ruler, neither Egyptian, nor British, nor Turkish, had ever given them — an independent territory?

First, they demolished the greenhouses. Then they elected Hamas. Then, instead of building a state with its attendant political and economic institutions, they spent the better part of a decade turning Gaza into a massive military base, brimming with terror weapons, to make ceaseless war on Israel.

Where are the roads and rail, the industry and infrastructure of the new Palestinian state? Nowhere. Instead, they built mile upon mile of underground tunnels to hide their weapons and, when the going gets tough, their military commanders.

They spent millions importing and producing rockets, launchers, mortars, small arms, even drones. They deliberately placed them in schools, hospitals, mosques and private homes to better expose their own civilians. And from which they fire rockets at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Why? The rockets can’t even inflict serious damage, being almost uniformly intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system. Even West Bank leader Mahmoud Abbas has asked: “What are you trying to achieve by sending rockets?”

It makes no sense. Unless you understand that the whole point is to draw Israeli counter-fire. This produces dead Palestinians for international television. Which is why Hamas perversely urges its own people not to seek safety when Israel drops leaflets warning of an imminent attack.

To deliberately wage war so that your own people can be telegenically killed is indeed moral and tactical insanity. But it rests on a very rational premise: Given the Orwellian state of the world’s treatment of Israel (see: the UN’s grotesque Human Rights Council), fueled by a mix of classic anti-Semitism, near-total historical ignorance and reflexive sympathy for the ostensible Third World underdog, these eruptions featuring Palestinian casualties ultimately undermine support for Israel’s legitimacy and right to self-defense.

Charles Krauthammer is a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist, Fox News commentator, and bestselling author. His most recent book, “Things That Matter” (Crown Forum, 2013), spent several months at the top of the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list.

41 COMMENTS

Normal, thinking US citizens have been calling out for Washington to kick the UN out of the USA for years. It is made up of many criminals from corrupt countries and really accomplishes nothing but worthless, endless words and fraud!

The problem is really , Who or what should Israel do about putting in place of Hamas. If we take over control of Gaza are we going to stay there to maintain control ? Are we wanting the United Nations to do it ? can we even trust them to do it ? what is the end strategy ? to annihilate them ? or do we incorporate Gaza back to Israel proper, and martial law incorporated in troubled areas ? How does Israel win she obviously is not winning by Merely shooting at buildings knocking off the odd terrorist here or there. If you want to eradicate terrorism then in this case there has to be an all-out war there will never be a cease-fire. Does Israel have to risk the lives of her citizens by speculating that they could change the Arabs a people who openly say it’s not about the land it’s about destroying the Jews. The people that Chant from the river to the sea Palestine will be free. They mean free of Jews to Judenrein the land of Israel and the rest of the worlds Jews Wherever they are to be found . What they call it is Jihad . Its Nothing but the plain Truth see for yourselves and don’t be fooled into believing that they want to coexist. They have never’s said such a thing . Baffles me that there are so many ostrich like people who put their head in the sand believing if they sing Kumbaya everything will be okay.

Its time the un came down on war crimes on hamas and hamas has done more crimes since this war we the people of the world must stand together and tell the un to blame hamas for there war crimes . Israel is the victims and besides you want hamas coming into your home and killing you! I stand for Israel!

The UN wants One World Government ruled by them. They want to depopulate the planet by 6billion people. That is 3 out of 4 people must die. They have convinced countries to go along with this madness and have been slowly working towards their goal for the last 40 years. Right down to telling farmers how to not use their land. Fishing areas restricted, running our country down deliberately, it goes on and on. Even tells how to deceive people. We are being like sheep to the slaughter. About time we got out of the UN while we still have a chance. Mass immigration was also one of their strategies to bring countries to their knees. Are we able to trust government? They signed the unwinding treaty which is binding in the long run. Conspiracy! Treachery!

The UN wants One World Government ruled by them. They want to depopulate the planet by 6billion people. That is 3 out of 4 people must die. They have convinced countries to go along with this madness and have been slowly working towards their goal for the last 40 years. Right down to telling farmers how to not use their land. Fishing areas restricted, running our country down deliberately, it goes on and on. Even tells how to deceive people. We are being like sheep to the slaughter. About time we got out of the UN while we still have a chance. Mass immigration was also one of their strategies to bring countries to their knees. Are we able to trust government? They signed the unwinding treaty which is binding in the long run. Conspiracy! Treachery!

They want to get rid of Israel because it will fight for survival. The world is being deliberately turned against Israel , against Jews, feeding hatred. The UN have been pulling strings for 40 years to achieve their goal of One World Government. I believe all the unrest and killing is a major step towards this. Look at UN Agenda 21 on Google and what it actually means.

They want to get rid of Israel because it will fight for survival. The world is being deliberately turned against Israel , against Jews, feeding hatred. The UN have been pulling strings for 40 years to achieve their goal of One World Government. I believe all the unrest and killing is a major step towards this. Look at UN Agenda 21 on Google and what it actually means.